TCF is getting ready to participate in the SOFA Chicago art fair, which will take place on November 1-4, opening with a Artist Opening Night reception on October 30. The artists who will be featured at this year's TCF booth are: Cetin Ates, Adnan Dogan,  Ipek Kotan, Zeynep Torun, Ahmet Yazici, and Belgin Yucelen. This is the 6th year that TCF will be participating in SOFA and has been the only non-profit organization presenting at the fair. The TCF display at SOFA Chicago 2012 will be curated with Armaggan Art & Design Gallery.

Dr.Nurhan Atasoy, TCF Senior Scholar in Residence, gave a lecture on “The Enigma of Ibrahim Pasha’s Palace” at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London on October 10, as part of the TCF Lecture Series in Turkish Culture and Art. Dr.Atasoy also addressed art connoisseurs at Christie’s London, where she discussed the Ottoman and Western artistic and cultural exchanges.  

Dr.Recep Karadag, Head of the TCF Natural Dyes Research and Development Laboratory-DATU, will participate in a scientific conference in Antwerp, Belgium on October 17-20, titled “Dyes in History and Archaeology.” Dr.Karadag will talk on the analysis of historical silks at the Topkapi Palace Museum. Last month, the DATU team continued to provide analytical services to Turkish museums, making progress in an ongoing project analyzing the Sultans Costumes at the Topkapi Palace Museum, the Harbiye Military Museum, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, and helping analysis on carpets and kilims at the Vakiflar Museum and the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum. TCF-DATU provides these analytical services for free to the museums.

The TCF Lecture Series in Turkish Culture and Art organized by the TCF Istanbul office will begin its new season on October 16, with a lecture by Dr.Nurhan Atasoy, titled “Costumes in Harem.” On October 17, Sibel Arca, Curator of the Topkapi Palace Museum will speak on the the textiles at the palace and Ottoman burying traditions (lecture is in Turkish).

Meanwhile, the TCF Culinary Arts Center - YESAM begins its Fall lectures on October 18 with a presentation on the cuisine of Kayseri by Nedim Atilla.

Like in previous years, TCF provided a major grant to Moon and Stars Project to help promote Turkish cinema in the United States. Through this collaboration, Turkish films are screened in a number cities, including at the 1st Annual Seattle Turkish Film Festival, the Chicago Turkish Film Festival, the 8th Annual Madison Turkish Film Festival.

TCF also provided  grants to Turkfest Seattle, which will take place on October 20-21; and the Turkish Festival of Charlotte, which will take place on October 27.

An international art exhibition supported by TCF, titled “Album Amicorum: Gems of Friendship in a Frightened World,” opens with a conference and reception on October 15 at the Dolmabahce Palace Gallery in Istanbul. The exhibit features marbled paper art by 21 artists from 14 countries and will remain open until October 30. The exhibition is organized by the founders of Ebristan, Hikmet and Fusun Barutcugil.